Ali and his younger sister, Zahra, lived with their parents in a poor neighborhood. Their mother was very sick and their father was struggling to find a job, and they had only a little money with which to buy food. As they had not paid the rent for several months,the landlord was breathing down their necks (盯着他们).

One day, Ali took Zahra’s shoes to a shoe repairman to be fixed, but he lost them on the way home. It wasn’t until he got home that he realized he had lost the shoes. He was afraid that his parents would be angry and disappointed, so he begged his sister to keep it secret. Zahra agreed and the two decided to share Ali’s running shoes. Zahra’s school hours were in the morning, so she would wear them first.After school, she would rush back and give them to Ali. He could then run to his school,which began in the afternoon.Although he ran as fast as he could, Ali often arrived late and was warned by the school.

Ali heard about a long distance race that was held for the boys in the city. When he learned that the third prize was a new pair of shoes, he decided to take part. He ran home excitedly and promised his sister that he would win her the new shoes.

The day of race arrived. Ali had a strong start, but halfway through the race he began to get tired and his legs began to ache. Getting more and more tired he thought only of Zahra and his promise to her.Dreaming of the new shoes he would win for his sister gave him strength and he stayed right behind the two fastest runners, determined to finish third.Suddenly, as the finish line drew near, another runner collided (碰撞) with Ali from behind and he crashed to the ground.

Ali looked up and saw the other boys rushing ahead.

This past summer, my family went on our annual vacation in a cottage on a lake. There were various activities to keep everyone busy: swimming, fishing and building sand castle on the beach. In the evenings, we gathered on the beach, having great fun.

However, by the third day of our vacation, I noticed my sister, Jane, spent most of her time watching videos and looking through online shops indoors. She was so addicted to her cell phone! Over dinner, I told Jane we would hike to the top of the mountain across the lake the following morning. I stared at her, “Put your phone away and enjoy the scenery. It’s really amazing.”

“Well,” Jane shrugged her shoulders and answered unwillingly, “there are some bargains tomorrow in several online shops, so I’ll not be available.”

“Come out to enjoy the fresh air and many views. Hiking is fun!” (嘟囔),“I can not walk that far.”

When I said it only took half an hour of steady walking to climb to the top, she nodded, “OK. I’ll go.”

The next morning was perfect for a hike, with sunny clear skies and gentle winds. I got up early and packed some sandwiches and bottles of water into my backpack along with the camera. Jane came slowly downstairs, and announced in a very unenthusiastic voice, “I’m ready to go, Jim.”

Anyway, we stepped out of our cottage and quite a different view unfolded before our eyes. Against the blue skies, a rough path wound to the top of the mountain across the lake with wild flowers and grass   on both sides. The sunlight brightened on the glassy surface of the lake. We began from the path.

“I’m still wondering if this is a good idea, but if you could do it, I could also do.” She complained, frowning.

She followed me, her mind wandering.

Reaching the top, Jane widened her eyes, shouting, “How awesome!”.

That night, I quarreled with my mother, then stormed out of the house. While on the road, I remembered that I did not have any money in my pocket, I did not even take my cell phone with me to make a call home.

At the same time, I went through a noodle shop, and I suddenly felt very hungry. I wished for a bowl of noodles, but I had no money!

The seller saw me standing before the counter and asked, “Hey little girl, you want to eat a bowl?”

“But … but I do not carry money …” I shyly replied.

“Okay, I’ll treat you.” the seller said, “come in, I will cook you a bowl.”

A few minutes later the owner brought me a steaming bowl of noodles. After eating some pieces, I cried.

“What is it?” He asked.

“Nothing. I am just touched by your kindness!” I said as I wiped my tears. “Even a stranger on the street gives me a bowl of noodles, and my mother, after a quarrel, chased me out of the house. She is cruel (残忍的)!!”

The seller sighed, “Girl, why did you think so? Think again. I only gave you a bowl of noodles and you felt that way. Your mother has been taking care of you since you were little, why were you not grateful and why did you hurt your mom?”

I was really surprised after hearing that.

Why did I not think of that? A bowl of noodles from a stranger made me feel grateful, and my mother has raised me since I was little and I have never felt so, not even a little.

Just at that moment, many memories came back into my mind.

When arriving home, I saw my mother sitting at the dinner table, worried and tired.

Growing up, I was always around my grandma Meredith. She was the one who originally inspired my love for cooking and my dream of becoming a chef. Yet, one day I received a text that would turn my whole life around, “Grandma is seriously ill,” the text read, “and we need your help in assisting with her care.”

Without a second of hesitation, I agreed to travel back home. Thankfully, my boss at the restaurant let me take unpaid leave for the next several months so I could come home to help out with Gran. After driving across several states, I finally got back to our family home in West Virginia. Yet, what I saw was really bard for me to bear. The Meredith I saw then was not the lively, joyful Meredith I had seen while I was growing up.

“Tony!” she called to me from her bed, “It’s so good to see you! "

“Gran,” I sighed, “I’m not Tony. That’s dad, your son. I’m Hank.”

This was the start of a months-long journey of helping out around the house-cooking, cleaning, and, most of all, keeping Gran in good health and good spirits.

Every day, I cooked delicious food to keep everyone’s spirits high. But, secretly, I hoped that cooking some dishes that we had made together in my childhood would somehow help get Gran’s memory of me back, if not just for a moment.

Stews (炖菜), chops (排骨), roasts—I served all of these to Gran and my parents around the clock. When I wasn’t taking Gran out for strolls (散步) in her wheelchair or changing her bed sheets, I was cooking. I had cooked for dignitaries (显要人物) and rock stars while at the restaurant in New York City, but never had I poured my heart out into my meals than I did then for Grandma Meredith.

When I was almost at my breaking point, I decided to make something simple.

After taking a few bites, Gran finally called out my name—my actual name.

7 . When I was a small boy my family was very poor. My father always used his savings to ______ my mother to visit her parents who lived far away. There were just my younger brother and I in the house. One evening Dad came home from ______ and there was no food in the house, not even a piece of bread. Although we were ______ , my brother and I went to bed without eating anything.

My father had no money, but I knew from the ______ on his face that he could not let us have an empty stomach. He ______ the house and about two hours later returned and quickly ______ us up. He had two small potato pies in his hand, which he gave us to eat. I didn’t know where he got the food but somehow he managed to get us something to eat.

My father had not eaten and had worked all day but he sat there with great satisfaction watching us eat. This has ______ stayed in my mind and made me more impressive than any amount of money he may ever have ______ me.

At that moment, I felt happy knowing that he was there and would not let us suffer.

I guess the point I am trying to make is that in difficult times it is ______ not to show weakness but strength and character (勇气) . If a mother is the cement (胶合剂) that ______ a family together, then a father is the one that ______ that cement.

It is his values and ______ that have carried me forward and helped me to ______ my own problems in life. In my own ______ I have learned that it is the ______ time I spend with my children and the values I teach them that will always remain with them.

8 . My daughter loved dancing until she didn’t find it attractive. After an _________ first year, I noticed her interest fading week by week. Then one day, she slowly walked to me before class and asked if she could just _________ it.

My first reaction was to advise her to “finish what you start”. _________, sticking with something difficult can teach perseverance, discipline and confidence. But watching mydaughter ____ herself into each ballet position, I started to question how much _________ that “blanket advice” made. Is it really in my kid’s best _________ or even practical, to make her stick to every commitment through until she reaches a bitter end? What if there are different but _________ valuable qualities, which can be gained by _________ the things that are not right for her.

After a few days’ consideration, she decided dance wasn’t for her - a choice I _________. Quitting is never a black and white issue. Sometimes, it means __________ a barrier in your way to love something else. In my daughter’s case, ending dance made space for her new hobbies, such as horseback riding and Girl Scouts. She’s into them for now, but it is okay if that __________ changes.

As adults, we are used to __________ the power of saying yes, but what about saying no? The ability to recognize when something isn’t an __________ investment of our time or energy is also important. As my daughter gets older, I want her to feel confident to __________ something that’s no longer meeting her needs. She shouldn’t be held back by the thought that she must finish something at any cost __________ because she has started.

During my school years, I had only close friend. We spent years together, and we were inseparable, in or out of school. But the Greg moved away, and I never thought it would take more than 40 years to bring us together again.

As children, Greg and I dove into everything with passion. At that time, we were pure (纯真的) and kind, full of curiosity and expectation for life. We raced our bikes and illustrated (给书加插图) our own comic books. We even became attracted to the same girl from around the corner, a sixth -grader named Joanne who barely (几乎不) knew we existed.

The last times a Greg was sometime in 1966. It was so short a meeting that I couldn’t recall saying goodbye before he moved. Since then, we lost touch.

But then, a few summers ago, I saw a familiar woman. “Excuse me. Would your name happen to be Joanne?”

“Uh, yes...” She didn’t recognise me until I explained who I was. We hadn’t exchanged more than a few dozen words in our entire lifetime. “Have you stayed in touch with Greg?” she asked. I was surprised she even knew of our friendship.

“No. I haven’t,” I admitted. “I wish I had.”

Back at the office I checked my messages. I received one email, and then read it from start to finish. The email was from Greg.

Greg had tracked me down through social media. He was now married, had two children and had become a musician and entrepreneur (企业家) . We exchanged several emails before connecting by phone. A month later, my wife and I drove to meet Greg and his family in person.

Standing in front of his house, I began to get nervous.

Seeing the photo, Greg handed me a small, old card.

10 . When I was a kid, my family farmed 200 acres with mules (骡子), and the most naughty one was Tobe. It’d frequently jump out and run around. But when asked why he liked it, Dad would say, “When it comes to farm work, Tobe comes up to standard.”

Dad died when I was 11, and we had to sell the farm. Those were hard years, but Mom managed to give me my first music lesson. Before long our neighbors liked my songs so much that I decided to make a career in singing.

At 17 I left home for a radio station in Jackson and this job made me discover how inexperienced I was. I made up my mind that I would practice until I came up to standard. I took a job as a driver. With 8 hours spent in the car, I could spend the rest of the time practicing. Finally, when I was good enough, I began playing for audiences nationwide.

By now, I had two kids and I knew what a family was without a dad, so I quit the performances and entered the most depressing (令人消沉的) years of my life with all the clothing, homework, and duties around the house. That was when I thought about Tobe. It was self-willed, but in the field, where it mattered, Tobe came up to standard. So I started listening and made a discovery. My kids’ lifestyle may be different. But where standards are concerned (涉及) — for things like honesty and courage — they often do better than some of us.

Not long ago my son Dick told me he was going to apply for a job at a TV station. “ I know the general manager. I’ll put in a good word for you,” I said. “I’d rather go alone,” he replied. “If I’m not good enough yet to do the job, I shouldn’t get it.” Then I realized he wanted to be up to standard. I felt proud the minute he came home shouting, “ Dad, I got the job!”